Comparing the Health of Children in Japan and America

Japanese children are recognized as among the healthiest in the world, while American children compare poorly, despite the U.S. spending more than any other country on health care.

Japan’s vaccine policy is non-compulsory, with vaccines considered either “routine” or “voluntary” but never forced.

High rates of adverse events following MMR and HPV vaccinations led to major vaccine policy changes in Japan and parents and their physicians make personalized decisions about vaccination for each child.

Children in Japan are among the healthiest in the world, while children in the United States rate low on the list of developed nations for health outcome measures. Given that the U.S. spends more than any other country on health care to ensure the health and well-being of its children, what is behind this discrepancy?

Differences in Infant Mortality

One of the measures used to determine a nation’s overall health ranking is infant mortality, which is the number of infants dying before their first birthday per 1,000 live births. Among 223 nations, Japan ranks second, with an infant mortality rate of just 2.2/1,000. Only the tiny country of Monaco boasts a lower rate, at 1.8/1,000. The infant mortality rate for infants born in the U.S. is 5.8/1,000, on par with Serbia, and much higher than Cuba, South Korea and European Union countries.12

Several factors have been cited to try to rationalize some of the discrepancies. An increased number of pre-term births and differences in reporting methods may affect the numbers. Extremely premature infants, born far too early to survive, are counted as live births in the U.S. if they are born alive, whereas they may be considered and reported as miscarriages or stillbirths in other countries.3

Regardless of pre-term births and differences in reporting, the large gap between a 2.2 infant mortality rate in Japan and the 5.8 infants mortality rate in the U.S. cannot be explained. The reality is that efforts to improve rates of infant mortality in the U.S. lag far behind those of other developed nations.4

Cultural, Educational and Economic Influences

It is not only in minimizing infant mortality that Japan has surged ahead of the U.S. in child health rankings. Japan’s overall life expectancy—and, more importantly, a healthy life expectancy—is also much higher in Japan than in any other country. At the end of World War II, Japan had an abysmal health and life expectancy rate, with an overall life expectancy of just 50.1 years for men and 54.0 years for women. Those numbers increased by 13.5 years for males (to 63.6 years) and 13.8 years for females (to 67.8 years) in the 10 years following the end of the War.

Current life expectancy in Japan averages 81.1 years for men and 87.1 for women,5 and healthy, disease-free life expectancy has been calculated at 73 years for men and 78 years for women.6

In comparison to Japan, the U.S. has a lower life expectancy and it is getting worse. A U.S. government report published at the end of 2018 revealed that life expectancy in the U.S. dropped in 2017 to 78.6 years, with young adults in their 20s and 30s dying prematurely from drug overdoses and suicide contributing to the dropping life expectancy.7 The top five leading causes for death in the U.S. are heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke.

Much credit has been given to Japan’s vastly improved economy compared to pre- and immediate post-war periods, but the rapid increase in life expectancy was apparent well before the country’s economic recovery. Medical advances certainly played a big role, but a new national emphasis on education, improved health laws, and community-based initiatives designed to address quality of life in rural areas were also largely responsible.8

The seeds of these social improvements were planted in the early 1900s, with free compulsory education and newly available social services, and furthered in 1961 with the introduction of universal health insurance.9

Healthy Daily Practices

Some of the simplest, most obvious factors in keeping Japanese children healthy are a seemingly nationwide emphasis on exercise and good nutrition, as well as a commitment to hygienic practices and regular health screenings.

The vast majority of Japanese schoolchildren (98.3 percent) either walk or bike to school, which has been linked to the low rate of childhood obesity in the country. School lunch programs in Japan also help set the stage for a healthy relationship with food, with most foods locally sourced and prepared fresh at the schools.10 Unhealthy choices are not offered, and children take part in planning, preparing, serving and cleaning up after meals, as well as learning about nutrition.

Naomi Moriyama, author of “Secrets of the World’s Healthiest Children,” stresses that it isn’t necessary to switch to a diet of “seaweed, sushi, and tofu to nourish a healthy child–just tweak your family food habits in a more healthy direction. Serve more plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and healthy fats, like heart-healthy omega 3-rich fish, and less processed food with added sugars and salt.”11

Vaccination Policy

Another piece of the puzzle that may contribute to the healthy status of Japan’s children is the government’s policies on vaccination. Unlike the U.S., Japan does not mandate vaccines, but categorizes available vaccines as “routine” or “voluntary.”12131415161718Routine vaccines are covered under the government’s universal health plan if given within a specific timeline, while voluntary vaccines are available for self-pay.

It hasn’t always been that way. Although Japan led the way in improving the safety of the whole cell pertussis (DPT) vaccine by licensing a less reactive acellular version (DTaP) in 1981,19 prior to 1994, vaccination was considered a social obligation and was paid for by the government, with fines for those who refused. After losing a series of lawsuits for victims of vaccine injuries, the government revised their vaccine policies, doing away with mandated vaccinations given in public health centers, and giving the responsibility for vaccination to parents and their personal physicians.20

One of the vaccines that prompted the 1994 revision of the Vaccination Act was the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) combination vaccine. Introduced in 1989, the vaccine was associated with thousands of serious side effects, including aseptic meningitis. Data showed over one three-month period, one in 900 children had an adverse reaction, more than 2,000 times the expected rate of one in 100,000 to 200,000. Even after switching to a different type of MMR, the high incidence of severe reactions continued and the triple combination vaccine was banned.2122

Japan still recommends a combination measles and rubella (MR) vaccine, which is on the non-compulsory routine schedule, while the separate mumps vaccine is on the voluntary schedule. According to Hiroki Nakatani, MD, Director of the Infectious Disease Division at Japan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, the individual vaccines cost twice as much as MMR ‘but we believe it is worth it’.23

Another controversial vaccine no longer on the government recommended schedule in Japan is the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine. Introduced in Japan in 2009, the HPV vaccine was added to the list of recommended vaccines in April of 2013. However, the vaccine was quickly associated with a high number of reports of severe side effects after it was given widely to young girls and women and, by June 2013, recommendation for routine HPV vaccination had been suspended. Subsequently, the HPV vaccination rate fell from 70 percent to one percent. The government has also set up advisory panels to evaluate HPV vaccine adverse events.24

An attorney group representing some of the victims of HPV vaccination in Japan, who are suing HPV vaccine manufacturers, claims that several studies have made solid progress in clarifying the biological mechanisms for some of the adverse reactions. They are calling for “the government and drugmakers not to spread harm any further…”25

Countering some who suggest that Japan’s vaccination policies should more closely match those of the U.S., Hiroko Mori, former head of the infectious diseases department at the National Institute of Public Health and author of the Guidebook on Vaccines for Children and Parents, believes there is too much pressure for everyone to get vaccinated and no one should be forced into vaccinating themselves or their children. She is quoted as saying, “Some of these diseases may have been devastatingly fatal in the past, but we live in a day and age where they aren’t nearly as fatal … especially with the high standards of health here, it’s not necessary for everyone to be forced into getting immunized against all such diseases.”26

Should Japan Be the Role Model for the U.S.?

It should be noted that there’s another side to Japan’s current status at the top of the health and wellness charts: As many Japanese move toward a more Western diet and more sedentary lifestyle, obesity and related health issues are creeping up. Considerable social stressors such as long, six-day workweeks (suicides and death from overwork are serious issues), as well as the common use of such unhealthy stress reducers such as alcohol and cigarette smoking, are also creating new public health challenges.27

Nevertheless, the evidence is pretty compelling that, as a nation, the U.S. is not doing nearly enough to protect the health of our children. In side-by-side snapshots of the U.S., where “Half of America’s Kids Suffer from Chronic Illness and It’s Getting Worse,”28 and Japan, where children can expect to grow and lead long, healthy lives, it may be time to take a closer look at and learn from Japan’s more holistic, personalized public health policies.

This article or commentary provides referenced information and perspective on a topic related to vaccine science, policy, law or ethics being discussed in public forums and by U.S. lawmakers. The websites of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provide information and perspective of federal agencies responsible for vaccine research, development, regulation and policymaking.

18 Responses to "Comparing the Health of Children in Japan and America"

Redpill July 3, 2019 at 6:44 pm

I love Japan. I’ve been there several times and those trips have been the most memorable of many trips I’ve taken out of the US. Japanese people are healthier because they are offered better choices in foods and their health care is focused on preventative rather than trying to fix something once it’s broken. Bloomberg declared Japan as one of the Best Medical Care Systems in the World. The Japanese government has been admired for creating the country’s healthcare system with a strong focus on the welfare of its people, not on profits. When young girls began having problems with the HPV vaccine the government and medical response was not to dismiss, lie and demean the young girls and their families that complained-they paid attention, looked into it and responded by removing their initially recommendation in 2013 after serious health problems prompted numerous lawsuits. Japanese researchers have since confirmed a temporal relationship between HPV vaccination and recipients’ development of symptoms. U.S. regulators have ignored these and similar reports and not only continue to aggressively promote and even mandate the formerly optional HPV vaccine beginning in preadolescence but are now pushing it in adulthood.

Japan also has a vaccination program that the parents control-not the government:
-Japan has no vaccine mandates, instead recommending vaccines that (as discussed above) are either “routine” (covered by insurance) or “voluntary” (self-pay).
-Japan does not vaccinate newborns with the hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine, unless the mother is hepatitis B positive.
-Japan does not vaccinate pregnant mothers with the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.
-Japan does not give flu shots to pregnant mothers or to six-month-old infants.
-Japan does not give the MMR vaccine, instead recommending an MR vaccine.

The article mentioned that the Japanese lifestyle is different than in the West even though many of the habits of the Japanese people are becoming westernized. The first time I went to Japan we stayed on Mount Kōya. You couldn’t find a box of sugar laden cereal or a carton of milk in any shop. They were not part of the diet. Now, sugared cereal, milk and other process foods have crept in thanks to western marketing. Still, the Japanese diet is far better than in the West because they eat more fresh foods, seafood, unprocessed soy and drink tons of genuine green tea with all the foam & leaf bits floating around in it.

One of the most challenging things I found in Japan was the country was created on hills and mountains. Walking. You’re either walking uphill or downhill. Gives insights as to why Japanese athletics legs are so strong. Significant portion of the country ride bikes and they are everywhere. Young-old, everyone is pushing pedal.

I would say it’s not just the the lack of mandated medical treatments, but also the Japanese people fell they are responsible for their own being. It’s up the individual to care for themselves and their families as a way to honor their spiritual selves. They know that the government and the medical community is there if they need them but ultimate they are responsible for their health and well being and work towards that everyday.

Health is about honoring and maintaining the whole self, Body, Mind and Spirit, not just the physical. A philosophy Western Medicine will never understand.

Redpill- Great Information & I’d like to add to your list of Benefits & Differences;
– Japan allows both Allopathic & Homeopathic Medicine to treat sickness & it’s at the patients disgression.
– Allopathic trained Doctor at Japanese Medical Universities, also have the option of continuing their education within Homeopathy (i.e. Chinese Medicine, etc.)
– Medical Insurance WILL cover both Allopathic & Homeopathic protocols, again it’s the patient/doctors prerogative.
– Even Dentistry is different in Japan. A root canal would NEVER be performed in Japan unless that Dentist used Ozone in the procedure. The risk of sealing bad bacteria into One’s mouth is almost certain IF Ozone is NOT used. (Something as simple & noninvasive, which guarantees success & health can’t/won’t even be considered here in the State?)
– Ozone is also used to CURE CANCERS and a myriad of Disease’s, which is utilized ALL over the World, except here? Dr. Robert Beck used Ozone in his CANCER CURE Protocol as well.

“Nevertheless, the evidence is pretty compelling that, as a nation, the U.S. is not doing nearly enough to protect the health of our children”

I don’t know why so many of these articles are built upon statist premises such as this; if something is wrong, the government must not be doing enough!

No, the main problems in the U.S. affecting children’s health are due to our governments doing way too much, in the name of protecting the health of our children. Obviously, exhibit A is its tyrannical, runaway vaccine program. Add inundating us with poor dietary advice to this. Then, add in CPS tyranny and terrible government schools and you have the perfect recipe for disaster.

David Weiner I think hit the nail on the head. Lots of people do not want a government run healthcare, but look at what it is now. The government ALREADY is pushing all kinds of treatments. If not them the health insurance tells you what to do or what cannot be done ! This is tyranny indeed. Let us hope this soon comes to an end.

I have visited Japan twice, and have Japanese friends. Japanese parents are not subjected to the fear tactics, bullying, and force-medication that infect pediatric practices in the US. Eliminating the toxic and dangerous MMR vaccine, which is forced on millions of US children, and the extremely dangerous HPV vaccines has gone a long way toward improving the health of Japanese children and young people. And giving parents the freedom of informed medical choice has allowed many families to go vaccine free. What is essential now is a large study, done without intervention by pharmaceutical companies and those institutions and politicians beholden to them, comparing the health of fully vaccinated (as in the US) partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated children. That would lay to rest the pervasive lie that “vaccines are safe and effective” and “vaccines don’t cause autism”. This kind of study terrifies the vaccine makers and the vaccine sellers, like the American CDC. It would be hugely helpful in solving the US childhood health crisis by proving that vaccines do harm, and don’t do good.

It just makes me sad for the United States, my country. Some of our medical fields are on the right track and can compete by world standards, but the medical care for children is horrendous. I read recently that computer programs were better at diagnosing children than pediatricians… That should be a wake-up call to that branch of medicine. If they don’t start practicing the precautionary principle and pay attention to their patients they will be replaced. And parents aren’t going to be motivated to take their kid to see a computer.

It never works when a business can’t be sued for a product… look at big tech, can’t be sued and that gives them the right to do whatever they want. Doctors have no interest in providing top care to their patients–that is, the majority, but there are exemptions. There are doctors who despite the freedom from liability still care enough to pay attention. Most don’t… and we are losing a generation.

Well I have three family members all with different issues and can certainly prove with hospital records that the government why will kill you. First my daughter with stage 4 espionagal cancer, my husband with massive heart attack and granddaughter with signs of autism. We had to get two out of the hospital in order to recover and even after they found damage to my husband from hospital stay, the new heart doctor told the rehab center we were sent too for two weeks that I would bring in all his food and vitamins. My granddaughter jumped two grade levels in a half a year.

Doctor books are outdated before students graduate as new discoveries are coming out almost daily. Example MRSA is killed with elecampane. Pulmonary fibrosis can be helped with diatomaceous earth. Silverman silver is a natural antibiotic. And most important is glycans which regulate absorption of vitamins and minerals etc.

Years ago the home health nurse said I would be a billionaire if I found the product that breaks down internal scar tissue. I did and yet I am not supposed to share because of so called government approval. This is crazy as it is approved for humans but not cattle or dogs again because of government know it alls.

Goodness I had hospital nurses tell me to get family members home if they were to survive and they were right.

Cinda Wood – Excellent info, I didn’t know about elecampane’s benefits. Since you mentioned Autism, here’s some valuable information to CURE that sickness. Peace Sister
*AUTISM EPIDEMIC:* If anyone has a child that has been diagnosed with Autism or you suspect your child may have some of the attributes that are associated within the spectrums known as Autism. I’d invite you to research a Kerri Rivera with AutismONE. These folks have *CURED well over 550 kids of their spectrum diagnosis and have helped literally 1,000’s upon 1,000’s of kids all around the World in over 70 Countries. Western Medicine has NOT CURED ONE CHILD!!* ….. in addition states it is *IMPOSSIBLE to CURE Autism?…. nor are they even INTERESTED in LEARNING from someone who is SUCCESSFUL at HELPING ALL these KIDS & YOUNG ADULTS* ….WHAT??? This is the TRUTH and the FACT of the matter!?!? This is yet another PRIME example of Western Medicine FAILING the population of the ENTIRE world….PERIOD!! There is a CURE for Autism do NOT give up hope. Peace to all caring, logical, and ethical human beings.

…… *HOW TO CURE AUTISM* ……
Here’s a link to AutismONE’s 2014 Conference, where they discuss the protocols that are CURING/reversing the tide, of the Autism EPIDEMIC . At the end of this conference, you’ll get to listen to an *angel named “Rachael” (#112 CURED of ASD).* Who will melt your HEART as she encourages all the parents not to give up hope and allows us all, another insight into the sickness known as Autism . At the 54:50 mark, you can listen to this darling tell you the TRUTH and remember, IF Western Medicine had it their way…..Rachael would be a CUSTOMER (bottom-line) for life, instead of being Healthy & Healed to live a full life.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0MFWBpWIds

Well I have three family members all with different issues and can certainly prove with hospital records that the government why will kill you. First my daughter with stage 4 espionagal cancer, my husband with massive heart attack and granddaughter with signs of autism. We had to get two out of the hospital in order to recover and even after they found damage to my husband from hospital stay, the new heart doctor told the rehab center we were sent too for two weeks that I would bring in all his food and vitamins. My granddaughter jumped two grade levels in a half a year.

Doctor books are outdated before students graduate as new discoveries are coming out almost daily. Example MRSA is killed with elecampane. Pulmonary fibrosis can be helped with diatomaceous earth. Silverman silver is a natural antibiotic. And most important is glycans which regulate absorption of vitamins and minerals etc.

Years ago the home health nurse said I would be a billionaire if I found the product that breaks down internal scar tissue. I did and yet I am not supposed to share because of so called government approval. This is crazy as it is approved for humans but not cattle or dogs again because of government know it alls.

Goodness I had hospital nurses tell me to get family members home if they were to survive and they were right.

Two of these sources (Daily Mail and Japan Times) are tabloids. As a parent looking for reliable information on vaccine risks, this severely discredits your writing and your site. It would be so helpful to have real, evidence based sources to draw on.

So, they are tabloids. Is there a law that excludes them from posting factual information? Do you have a source that discredits this artilce? Post it please, otherwise you’re blowing smoke up your skirt.

A – Know this….Japanese Scientific Peer Reviewed Papers/Experiments that are published and accredited, will not be considered as Scientific Evidence by the Western Medical establishment (Cabal).

A great example of this, is Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski’s Antineoplastones Cancer CURE, which has a Efficacy above 85% on most Cancers, IF Chemo & Radiation are NOT used & ZERO Negative Side-Effects i.e. it’s NOT TOXIC, doesn’t CAUSE CANCER unlike Chemo-Radiation do.

So, a tabloid in Japan does have the possibility of getting the story right, where as our Pro’s from Dover (PHD-MD’s), ma have never even heard of the protocol mentioned. Their journals are essentially “Black Listed” from our mainstream medicine, because the narrative can NOT be controlled unlike here in the States & with our Allies.

Just 6 Corporation own 95%+ of ALL Scientific Peer Reviewed Journals….it’s no different than 6 Corporations own/control EVERY Major New Network & Major Newspaper i.e. it ALL can boil down to PROPAGANDA, because THEY do control the Narrative.

Thank you AGAIN for excellent information on your site, you are terrific. I also applaud so many intelligent aware people who subscribe to these posts. I do not believe in vaccine safety or efficacy. I believe in our immune system to protect us against illnesses, plus taking the time and making an effort to eat whole foods plant-based (WFPB) and use natural remedies like essential oils, herbs and so on. and I am vegan. We also must filter our water and learn detoxification methods (like far-infrared). However its’ simple to solve the vaccine issue. Make vaccine companies and medical doctors financially liable and responsible for any and all vaccine injuries. You will see an immediate change in vaccines. Some day the vaccine Nazi mafia will be bankrupted the way Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) is. Lets pray for the light to take over the darkness, corruption, tyranny, lies and greed. namaste’, rachel

Redpill- Great Information & I’d like to add to your list of Benefits & Differences;
– Japan allows both Allopathic & Homeopathic Medicine to treat sickness & it’s at the patients disgression.
– Allopathic trained Doctor at Japanese Medical Universities, also have the option of continuing their education within Homeopathy (i.e. Chinese Medicine, etc.)
– Medical Insurance WILL cover both Allopathic & Homeopathic protocols, again it’s the patient/doctors prerogative.
– Even Dentistry is different in Japan. A root canal would NEVER be performed in Japan unless that Dentist used Ozone in the procedure. The risk of sealing bad bacteria into One’s mouth is almost certain IF Ozone is NOT used. (Something as simple & noninvasive, which guarantees success & health can’t/won’t even be considered here in the State?)
– Ozone is also used to CURE CANCERS and a myriad of Disease’s, which is utilized ALL over the World, except here? Dr. Robert Beck used Ozone in his CANCER CURE Protocol as well.